In your 30’s, you’re a VC who sold your start up to Facebook, and are now investing in the next Facebook.

In your 40’s or 50’s? … get the defibrillator, quick!

Does it really take a digital native to master a digital world? This idea is pretty pervasive, especially in the C-Suite. Fact is, we ALL need to be digitally savvy, from the Boardroom on down.

Boardroom bias alert!

Here are two high level comments overheard recently:

“… As a soon-to-be 50-year-old dinosaur, I’m not going to be able to understand this world in the way that the youngest generation understands it today …" -- Global Vice Chair, Big 8 Accounting Firm

“…Hire a digital native to do it.”-- CMO Fortune 500 Company, re: staffing for social media

Perhaps these executives have just been too busy to be hands-on with the latest tools themselves, or simply feel that technology is best left to the next generation. Well, in business, silos are never good ... and in this instance, it's a dangerous set of blinders to wear.

Social media participation has bottom line benefits

In fact, there’s good reason for the C-Suite to personally get more invested in social networking.

Studies show that when the C-Suite is active on social media, it impacts trust, perception of leadership, brand image, and likelihood to buy for that organization. According to the 2012 Brandfog CEO, Social Media, and Leadership Survey*:

82% of respondents trust a company more when the CEO and leadership team communicate via social media

77% are more likely or much more likely to buy from a company whose CEO uses social media to clearly define company values and leadership principles.

94% said C-suite social media participation enhances a brand image.

(*Source: http://www.brandfog.com/CEOSocialMediaSurvey/)

These are some pretty major benefits. Clearly, it's time for all levels of an organization to start using new platforms to listen and create relationships.

Time to evolve? Start at the top.

If you head an organization, how about leading from the front? If you have been slow to adapt to this trend, make it your goal to learn. When you make digital literacy a personal priority, it raises the bar for everyone.

At the very least, if you are in a position to lead, invest in training. Just about everyone in an organization needs the following skills:

Understand the online landscape,

Comfort using social media to engage stakeholders,

The ability to keep up with a constantly changing toolkit.

Companies that have enabled employees across the organization to interact on social platforms, such as Coke and Sprint, have seen dramatic dividends. For instance, the Sprint "Ninja" training program is credited with more engaged employees, and a documented improvement in company reputation. More companies should follow suit.

Digital skills can be mastered at any age ... it simply requires a willingness to embrace new tools, starting at the top.